Which harness-to-booster for DD?

[edurnemk]

I haven't been on the board in ages, but I'm once again in the need of BBB wisdom.

DD is 4, she's tiny, barely 30 lbs. Her Britax Boulevards will be expiring (both) in December so I need to start looking for a replacement. I'm a Britax fan so the Frontier seems like natural choice, but since I need two (one for each car), I'd like to at least consider other options that may be a tad more affordable:
-I would like her to ride harnessed for a couple more years so it has to be harnessed, but I would like a lower and less massive profile than the Boulevards. We don't need a convertible since DD is my last. And it would be nice if it could convert to an HBB so we can get more use out of it. We do however have DS's Parkways that she could use eventually.
-Our cars are not big (Nissan Rogue and BMW 320), so something not too wide would be great. We currently have the Blvd and the Parkway and while not impossible it's hard to fit someone between them (I have had DS's friend sit there on the Bubblebum)
-Bonus if it's on the lighter side for travelling since she's 10 lbs away from being able to use the Bubblebum. We used to have a Maestro for travelling but it expired and I would like something a bit more comfy for her.

I've looked at (online): Frontier, Graco Nautilus, Recaro Sport. Any opinions on those? Other suggestions?

[gymnbomb]

Frontier gets tons of recommendations, but (other than the clicktight installation if you go with that version) its primary advantage is the high weight/height limits that your daughter won't need. Graco Nautilus also gets great recommendations and would make a good primary seat for a child who doesn't need the Frontier's limits. I think all the newer versions come with a no-rethread harness. For smaller/cheaper seats the ones I see recommended most in the car seat groups I'm in are the Harmony Defender (online from Amazon, Walmart, or Burlington) and the Graco Tranzitions/Wayz (Babies R Us will let you try it in your car, and the Wayz is the Walmart version of the seat). Both of these can have installation problems in some vehicles but work great in others, so worth shopping somewhere you can either try it ahead of time or return easily if needed.

[georgiegirl]

I like our Frontier, but it is really heavy, and I would never travel with it. It is super easy to install though. I just brought a convertible to travel with until my kids were big enough for a high back booster. We had a Graco Nautilus with DD, but that was years ago.


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[edurnemk]

Thanks! I think I should also consider the Evenflo Securekid after reading some more threads. I'll try to look at them IRL in the next few weeks. I could get one Frontier or Nautilus and a lighter, more affordable one for DH's car (she mostly rides in my car), they don't need to be the same seat.

[gymnbomb]

Thanks! I think I should also consider the Evenflo Securekid after reading some more threads. I'll try to look at them IRL in the next few weeks. I could get one Frontier or Nautilus and a lighter, more affordable one for DH's car (she mostly rides in my car), they don't need to be the same seat.

I was actually coming back to add that I'd forgotten about that one! If you like Britax and will not take it out of your car frequently, the Pioneer is another good option (I hear installation can be a pain, but once installed it's a great seat).

[edurnemk]

I was actually coming back to add that I'd forgotten about that one! If you like Britax and will not take it out of your car frequently, the Pioneer is another good option (I hear installation can be a pain, but once installed it's a great seat).

Thanks! I'd forgotten about the Pioneer. The Securekid also looks nice.

[Philly Mom]

Thanks! I'd forgotten about the Pioneer. The Securekid also looks nice.

I have both a secure kid dlx and a pioneer. The SK is so much easier to install. It is lighter and better for travel. The pioneer has better straps and once installed looks like it is more comfortable.


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[edurnemk]

I have both a secure kid dlx and a pioneer. The SK is so much easier to install. It is lighter and better for travel. The pioneer has better straps and once installed looks like it is more comfortable.


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This is starting to look like a good combo: Pioneer for my car, Securekid for DH's and travel. Thanks!

[Philly Mom]

This is starting to look like a good combo: Pioneer for my car, Securekid for DH's and travel. Thanks!

That is essentially what we do. The pioneer is easy to install with a seat belt but it is heavy compared to the SK.


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[Liziz]

I think you have what you need now, but you'd originally asked about the Recaro Sport so I figured I'd comment. I have this seat and we love it. I originally got a Britax Frontier (Clicktight) and it did not work for us. I found it way too hard to tighten, and DD found it uncomfortable. I really really like the Recaro Sport though. It's super easy to tighten, very comfortable for DD. The install is pretty easy for me, too. It's different from others I've installed, but I've done it multiple times myself with no troubles. I love the way the harness pads stay in place at the top so the straps don't tangle, and the "racing strips" on the straps so you can easily tell if it's twisted are nice. However -- the seat is one of the more expensive, is heavy, and not particularly narrow (I don't think it's super wide, but it's definitely not super narrow either), so I don't know that it checks the boxes you're looking for. But I did want to comment since we love the seat!